Bathing suit



Pune 2 1,935- P. CUNNINGHAM 2,042,924

' BATHING SUIT Filed NOV. 50, 1955 1 faclvj@ maghi@ ATTORNEY Patented .lune 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT orties BATHING SUIT u Patricia Cunningham, New York, N. Y., assignor lto The Piqua Hosiery Company, Inc., Piqua, Ohio, a Ycorporation of OhioV Application November 30,- 1935, Serial No. 52,301

3 claims. (o1. 2-67) This Yinvention relates to garments for women; and is concerned more particularly with a body garment of novel construction which may be readily adjusted both to conform to figures of different types and also to provide a Variable degree of support for the bust of the wearer. The new garment is ofattractive appearance, and Ysince it is readily adjustable for the purposes mentioned, it ts the body snugly and smoothly. At the same time, it can be worn with complete comfort, because it does not bind the wearer or 4interfere with her body movements.

` The novel features of construction of the invention may be embodied in garments of dierent types, such as bathing suits, dresses, sleeping garments, and the like, but the invention may be used to' especial advantage in connection with bathing suits. Accordingly, for purposes of explanation, a bathing suit embodying the inven- "tion will be described in detail, but it is to be understood and will be immediately apparent that lthe utility of the invention is not limited to that particular type of garment. A bathing suit constructed in accordance with the invention may be of any of the usual types and may be made of any of the materials commonly employed for the purpose, as, for example, it may be a one-piece skirtless type of knitted material. Such a garment includes a lower or trunks section and atop, the latter usually being V`cut low in the back so that it covers substantially only the front of the body of the wearer and leaves the Vupper part of her back and shoulders exposed. If desired, the trunks section and top may be formed of a single continuous length of vmaterial and the garment is preferably of the single seamv construction, disclosed and claimed lin my copending application Serial No. 40,612, filed September 14, 1935.

In order to obtain all the advantages of the present invention, the top ofthe new garment is providedwith means by which its fullness at the fbustmay be increased as desired. Preferably the top is'initially shaped to conform to the figure and provides some fullness, and by the use of the adjusting means, the fit of the top and the degree of fullness provided may bevaried in accordance withl the requirements of the wearer.

The adjusting means used for the purpose preferably takes the form of a strap which encircles a portion of the upper part of the front of the top and may be placed under tension to draw that 4part of the top together longitudinally. This action of the adjusting means expands the top outwardly to the extent determined by the adjustment of the strap, and causes the garment to `conform torand fit the figure closely. The supporting effect is then obtained by the use of adjustable means for raising the top as a whole to provide the degree of support sought.

v One desirable kind of adjusting means for shaping the top to the figure consists of a single strap which passes through an opening inthe top below the upper edge thereof and in the middle line of the garment between the points of greatest fullness. The strap is connected to the top adjacent the opening and passes up the front of the top, over the upper edge, down inside the top, and out through the opening. The two ends of the strap are then led around the opposite sides of the body to the back where they are tied together. By pulling on the adjusting strap to the desired extent and tying it at the adjusted position, the front of the top is expanded out,- wardly and additional space is provided Within the top of the garment as may be required. When the garment is worn by a person having a slender figure, the ends of the strap may be tied together with little or no adjusting action, but

persons having gures of other types will adjust the garment by means of the strap as they may desire.

The adjustable supporting means for the top may take different forms, as, for example, a pair of shoulder straps connected to the upper part of the top and passing over the shoulders to the rear. These straps may then be secured in adjusted position in any desired way as, for example, the straps may be short and have their ends tied together to provide a halter, or the straps may be longer and may be connected to a part of the garment adjacent the waist. All forms of the supporting means employed are preferably connected to the top at spaced points on either side of the adjusting Vstrap so that when they are in use, they do not counteract the effect of the adjusting means but raise the top as a whole.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may b-e had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a view of one form of the new garment in front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side view with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a rear View with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the garment in a different condition of adjustment; and l Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawing, the garment illus'- trated is of the skirtless type and it includes a lower or trunks section Ill and a top Il, both of which may be made of any suitable material, such as knitted goods. Preferably, the lower section and top are cut from a single piece of matef rial, the edges of which are connected together with a central seam I2 at the rear in accordance with the disclosure of my copending 4application above referred to, the lower section being then completed by means of a crotch insert I3 lying between the leg openings I3a.

In the garment illustrated, the top is cut low in' the back, as indicated at I4, and at its upper edge, the top is provided with supporting means, which may be of various kinds, here illustrated as spaced halter straps I5 which are adapted to be led around the neck of the wearer and have their free ends tied together ina bow I li. Between the points of connection of the straps I5, the upper edge I'I of the top preferably dips down slightly. Extending inward from each lateral edge of the top are darts I8, the material of the` top being out and gathered to provide the desired fullness for the bust.

An opening I9 is formed in the median line of the top between the points of greatest fullness, and an adjusting strap 2U passes through this opening. The strap is connected to the top adjacent to the opening, and for this purpose, a loop 2| of the strap may be passed through the opening, folded upwardly against the inner face of the top, and secured in position by stitching 22. One end 23 of the strap is then led from the point of connection downward to the side of the garmentand then around the garment to the rear whereV it passes through a supporting loop 24. The other end 25 of the strap passes out through the opening I9 and is then led up and over the upper edge 26 of the top, down inside the top,

the rear and through a supporting loop 2l.

When the garment is worn, the ends 23 and 25 Vof the adjusting strapl are tied together at the back, the end 23 first being drawn through the opening I9 to the extent necessary to provide the desired adjustment. With some wearers, the fullness provided by the gathered portions of the top' may be all that is necessary for comfort, while with others, additional fullness may be desired. In the latter case, the end 23 of the strap is drawn to lower the upper edge I'I of the top, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and gather together the material of the top so as to provide increased fullness for the bust. When the strap 20 has been used to effect the desired adjustment, the halter straps I5 are drawn and tied together to raise the top and cause it to provide the desired support and lit the body snugly.

In addition to effecting the adjustment of the garment as may be required for different figures, the strap 20 has a decorative effect in that the two ends 23 and 25 passing diagonally downwardly from the opening I9 to the sides of the garment of support is desired and, since it conforms to the figure without binding, it may be worn with full comfort at all times. Y

While the novel features of the invention have been described in the form in which they will be used in a bathing suit, it will be apparent that these features may be employed in garments of other types. In some instances, it may be desirable to use the adjusting meansmerely for the purpose of causing the garment to conform. closely to the body and without providing any substantial degree of support. In a garment in which the adjusting means is used for that purpose only,

front of the bodice between the breast-covering` portions to provide breast pockets of varying degrees of fulness, means for adjustably support- 'ing the bodice as a whole, whereby the fulness of the breast pockets and their relative vertical position may be adjusted to the figure of the wearer, strap means secured to the bodice and extending downwardly from a point between the breastcovering portions, beneath said breast-covering f portions, and to the rear of the garment, and means `for adjustably securing the ends of said strap means together at the rear of the garment, the downwardly and rearwardly extending strap means holding the bodice close to the body beneath the breasts, when theV garmentV is worn, and assisting in forming the breast-supporting pockets.

2. A ladys garment comprising a bodice and a -1 part adapted to extend below the waist, said bodice having breast-covering portions and an upper edge, which in one position is adapted to lie at least in part above the breasts, a strap secured to the center of the bodice at a point between the Vbreast-covering portions and substan-V tially below said upper edge, said strap extending upwardly over the central portion of the upper vedge and then downwardly for drawing the central front portion of the upper edge downwardly to provide additional fulness in the region of the breast-covering portions, said strap-when the garment is worn, also extending downwardly from its place of connection to the bodice, beneath the breasts and to the rear of the garment, means for adjustably securing the ends of said strap together at the rear of the garment, the downwardly and rearwardly extending strap portions holding the bodice close to the body beneath the breasts and assisting in forming breast-supporting pockets, and means for adjustably supporting the bodice as a whole.

3. A ladys garment comprising a bodice and a part adapted to extend below the waist, said bodice having an upper edge and breast-covering portions, a strap portion connected tothe bodice and extending upwardly over said upper edge and then downwardly and through an opening in the bodice located between the breast-covering portions and substantially below theupper edge whereby said strap portion may draw said upper edge downwardly to provide additional fulness in the region of the breast-covering portions, strap portions passing downwardly from a point adjacent said opening, beneath said breast-covering portions and to the rear of the garment, andY means for adjustably securing the ends of said strap portions together at the rear of the garment, the downwardly and rearwardly extending strap portions, when the garment is being worn, holding the bodice close to the body beneath the breasts and assisting in forming breast-supporting pockets.

PATRICIA CUNNINGHAM. 

